Week-long celebrations begin for Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday in McLeodganj

The 90th birthday celebrations of the 14th Dalai Lama commenced on Monday morning at Tsuglhakhang, the main temple in McLeodganj.

Though his birthday is officially marked on July 6 according to the Gregorian calendar, it falls today as per the Tibetan lunar calendar, which celebrates his birth on the 5th day of the 5th month.

The inaugural ceremony was organised by members of the Domey (Amdo) community—natives of the Tibetan region where the Dalai Lama was born. The week-long celebrations will be overseen by the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), but Monday’s event was held privately by the Domey community.

The Dalai Lama arrived at the temple in a golf cart to a warm welcome from long queues of devotees who had gathered to offer birthday wishes. The temple premises were filled to capacity as he made his way to the shrine.

The day featured traditional Tibetan dance and music performances, along with special prayers offered for the Dalai Lama’s long life. Tibetan activists also addressed the gathering, drawing attention to the ongoing freedom movement and continued Chinese aggression in Tibet.